AKIPRESS.COM - Beauty and the Beast will be released in Malaysia without any cuts, Disney says, days after it rejected censors' demands for a gay scene to be removed, reports BBC.

The blockbuster would be released on 30 March with a PG13 rating, Disney said.

Two major cinema chains have confirmed the new date, two weeks after the postponed opening on 16 March.

The film has offended social conservatives for making LeFou, sidekick to villain Gaston, the first openly gay character in a Disney film.

Homosexual activity is illegal in Malaysia under both secular and religious laws. It is punishable by a prison sentence or corporal punishment.

Gay characters can be shown in films, but only if they are portrayed negatively or repent.